Ezekiel 12:11 kjv
Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
Ezekiel 12:11 nkjv
Say, 'I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.'
Ezekiel 12:11 niv
Say to them, 'I am a sign to you.' "As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.
Ezekiel 12:11 esv
Say, 'I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity.'
Ezekiel 12:11 nlt
Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.
Ezekiel 12 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 12:11 | Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely by your oath I will deal with you. | This verse is a direct declaration of God's oath. |
| Eze 4:1-17 | Detailed symbolic actions portraying the siege and fall of Jerusalem. | Parallels Ezekiel's prophetic actions as signs. |
| Isa 20:2-3 | Isaiah walked naked and barefoot as a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia. | Illustrates God using His prophets as symbolic signs. |
| Jer 25:15-38 | God's judgment declared upon nations through a cup of wrath. | The theme of God causing nations to drink judgment. |
| Jer 27:1-22 | Jeremiah's symbolic act with a yoke for nations to serve Babylon. | Prophet as a physical representation of prophecy. |
| Zech 11:15-17 | The foolish shepherd represents a shepherd rejected by God. | Prophetic actions depicting God's disfavor. |
| Luke 21:20-24 | Jesus foretells Jerusalem's destruction and the exile of its people. | Fulfillment of prophecies regarding Jerusalem's fate. |
| Rom 2:21-24 | Rebuke against those who preach but do not practice, drawing the name of God into disrepute. | Addresses hypocrisy as a cause for judgment. |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | "These things happened to them as examples, and they were written down as warnings for us." | Symbolic events recorded for future generations. |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active..." | God's word's active and effective nature. |
| Rev 15:1, 8 | Seven bowls of God's wrath poured out upon the earth. | God's complete and final judgment. |
| Psa 119:105 | "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." | The importance and guidance of God's word. |
| Pro 1:20-21 | Wisdom calls out in the streets; the end of destruction for those who ignore it. | The consequence of rejecting divine counsel. |
| Isa 46:9-10 | God declares the end from the beginning. | God's foreknowledge and sovereign plan. |
| Jer 51:34-36 | God promises to bring destruction upon Babylon. | God's consistent action of judgment against enemies. |
| Lam 1:12-16 | Lamentation over Jerusalem's suffering. | Personal experience of suffering due to sin. |
| John 3:16-17 | God sent his Son not to condemn but to save. | Contrasts God's judgment with His salvation plan. |
| Gal 3:17 | The Law given 430 years after the promise to Abraham. | God's timing and fulfillment of covenants. |
| Deut 28:15-68 | Curses for disobedience. | Consequences of breaking God's covenant. |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God..." | Judgment begins with God's people. |
| Hos 10:9 | "O Israel, you have sinned since the days of Gibeah..." | Long history of sin in Israel. |
Ezekiel 12 verses
Ezekiel 12 11 Meaning
This verse declares that Ezekiel himself is a sign for the people, explicitly communicating God's actions of judgment upon Jerusalem and the house of Israel. His actions mirror the exile the people will face, signifying their impending downfall and the completeness of God's judgment.
Ezekiel 12 11 Context
Chapter 12 of Ezekiel outlines a series of symbolic actions performed by the prophet to illustrate God's judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem. This specific verse, Ezekiel 12:11, occurs after Ezekiel is instructed to perform an action of exilic significance: packing his belongings as one would prepare for exile and digging through the wall to escape during the night, all while blindfolded. The intent of these actions was to convey to the people of Judah that Jerusalem would fall, and its inhabitants would be carried away into captivity. The people of Judah, at this time, were being misled by false prophets and were clinging to a false sense of security, believing that peace and safety would prevail despite God's pronouncements of judgment. The historical context is one of impending Babylonian invasion and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, a pivotal moment in Israelite history.
Ezekiel 12 11 Word Analysis
Say (וְאִמְר) - ve'imər (Hebrew) - "And say" or "and speak." This imperative form initiates a direct command from God to the prophet.
to them (אֲלֵיהֶם) - alehem (Hebrew) - Refers to the "house of Israel" mentioned in the preceding verse (12:10).
As (כִּ֤י) - ki (Hebrew) - "Surely" or "indeed." Emphasizes the certainty of the declaration that follows.
I (אֲנִי) - ani (Hebrew) - The personal pronoun for God, stressing His direct involvement and personal guarantee.
live (חַי) - chai (Hebrew) - "Living" or "alive." A solemn oath, akin to "As my life lives," signifying the absolute truth and inviolability of God's word. This is a common, strong oath formula used by God in the Old Testament.
declares (נְאֻם) - ne'um (Hebrew) - "Pronounces," "declares," or "oracle." Attributes the following statement to God's authoritative declaration.
the Lord (יהוה) - YHWH (Hebrew) - The covenant name of God, underscoring His faithfulness to His promises and judgments within the context of His covenant relationship with Israel.
GOD (אֱלֹהִים) - Elohim (Hebrew) - Another name for God, often used in a general sense of deity or to denote His power and sovereignty.
surely (כִּ֣י) - ki (Hebrew) - Repeats the emphasis of certainty and truth.
by (בְּ) - be (Hebrew) - "In," "by," "with." Indicates the means or basis of the action.
your (הֵן) - hen (Hebrew) - "Your" (plural, referring to the people of Israel).
oath (לַחְמְכֶם) - lachmechem (Hebrew) - Literally means "your bread." However, in this specific construction, it's understood as a metonymy for "your vows" or "your pledges" or even "your assurances/security" that they themselves may have taken or relied upon. It implies that their reliance on false assurances will be the basis for God's judgment upon them, or that their oaths of allegiance to other powers will be overturned. The exact grammatical interpretation can be debated, but the meaning is clear: God will deal with them based on the foundations they have established apart from Him.
I (אָנֹכִי) - anokhi (Hebrew) - Another Hebrew word for "I," intensifying the personal involvement of God.
will deal (עָשִׂיתִי) - asiti* (Hebrew) - "I have done" or "I will do." It denotes bringing something to pass, executing a plan, or acting in a certain way.
with you (בָּכֶם) - bachem (Hebrew) - "With you" (plural, referring to the house of Israel).
Phrase/Group Analysis: "As I live, declares the Lord GOD" - This is a most solemn and inviolable oath. It invokes God's very existence as the guarantee of the truth of His declaration. This emphatic phrasing leaves no room for doubt regarding the coming judgment. The combination of "Lord GOD" (YHWH Elohim) highlights both His personal covenant relationship and His absolute sovereignty.
Phrase/Group Analysis: "surely by your oath I will deal with you" - This clause links God's action of judgment directly to the people's own actions or words. It could refer to their false assurances of safety, their broken oaths, or even their own pronouncements and defenses, all of which God will turn back upon them in judgment. It speaks to divine retribution aligning with the human response to God's truth.
Ezekiel 12 11 Bonus Section
The oath "As I live" is a very strong indication of God's self-attestation. It appears numerous times in Ezekiel (e.g., 14:8, 16:48, 18:3, 33:11), reinforcing God's unwavering commitment to His judgments against sin, and also to His ultimate faithfulness and covenant purposes, though the immediate context is judgment. The concept of God "dealing with" His people according to their actions is a recurring theme in scripture, emphasizing divine accountability and the principle that people reap what they sow, often framed within the context of covenant relationship and its blessings or curses. The "oath" reference might also echo Deuteronomy 28's detailed blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, where Israel's breaking of the covenant was a breach of oath.
Ezekiel 12 11 Commentary
Ezekiel's prophetic ministry was highly visual, designed to grab the attention of a people numb to verbal prophecy due to the persistent lies of false prophets. Verse 11 functions as God's authoritative statement on the consequence of their misplaced trust and disregard for divine warning. The oath "As I live" signifies that God's judgment is as certain as His own existence. The phrase "by your oath I will deal with you" is crucial. It means God will execute judgment precisely because the people have violated their commitments (possibly to God, or even relying on other political alliances). Their own pronouncements of security, or perhaps their oath-bound alliances with Egypt, will become the very basis of God's judgment against them. Their reliance on the temporal will result in temporal ruin. Ezekiel, in his actions, is enacting the future reality for Israel, demonstrating the inescapable nature of God's decree.
- Practical Example: If someone constantly reassures themselves they can engage in sin without consequence, their eventual negative outcome serves as proof that their self-made "oath" of security was ultimately nullified by God's justice.